Daddy Topps
'''Topsy' (aka Daddy Topps, as he is called in the end credits of the original film, Cera's Dad in later films, and Mr. Threehorn as he is called by the other grownups in the Great Valley) is a fictional character in the Land Before Time films and television series. Voiced by Burke Byrnes in the first film, and John Ingle from the second to present, he is a Triceratops, and the father of main character Cera. Name For many films, his true name was unknown; he was simply credited as "Daddy Topps" in the first film and "Cera's Dad" in the first ten sequels. Most of his peers called him "Threehorn" or "Old Threehorn", while Grandpa and Grandma Longneck would call him "my friend" "Mr. Threehorn" or "Old Mr. Threehorn". In the eleventh installment of the film series, The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses, the new character Tria, an old sweetheart of his, called him "Topsy". Since then, it has been generally assumed that Topsy is his real name, although there has been some argument over whether it is really his name or merely a pet name given to him by Tria. Cera was visibly angered when Ducky called her father Topsy, though she may not have known before that it was his name, and simply disliked it because she had learned so from Tria, whom she was envious of for taking most of her father's attention from her. Personality His personality was unknown in the first film, but he was shown to be guilty of racism, or speciesism. He is seen growling at Littlefoot (whom he sees as a bad influence on Cera) and telling him that "Threehorns never play with longnecks." He was often portrayed as pompous, self-righteous, and bigoted; the degree of his pride and perverse stubbornness was seen in The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving when he took Cera straight into a wildfire rather than go with the other dinosaurs. He is aware of his bad attitude, but, in the beginning at least, thought nothing of it, saying that even if he was thought mean, he had a family to protect and he would do that by any means necessary. In a song from The Time of the Great Giving he says that was inculcated with this attitude by his own father, who told him to "stand and fight, don't run away." In recent films, he has still been shown stern and less understanding than Grandpa Longneck; but his prejudice and bad attitude have gradually lessened through the many sequels. In recent films, he has been shown to be part of the Great Valley's leadership, sharing power with Littlefoot's grandfather. Though Topsy and Littlefoot's family met early in the first film, it is assumed that he and Grandpa Longneck were formally introduced to each other and decided to assume shared leadership of the combined herds after they were separated from their children in the great earthquake. This was shown in a flashback in The Stone of Cold Fire. Family There is also the question of where Topsy's wife is - indeed, the film The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses, shows him happily courting Tria; Littlefoot was shown asking if she would be Cera's new mother. Topsy's earlier mate was shown near the start of The Land Before Time as were their other children. However, when he and Cera were reunited at the end of the film, some of the other children were gone; his wife as well as the other featured children disappearing afterwards as the result of an accidental retcon. Given the fatalistic attitude of the first film (the narrator having stated that "Sharpteeth stalked the herds waiting to seize any who strayed") it is likely they died on the way to the Great Valley. However, as seen by the presence of Topsy's grandchildren, Dinah and Dana, in The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock, at least one of his children, unnamed and likely from before Cera's egg-laying, is alive. After Invasion of the Tinysauruses, Topsy and Tria have another daughter, Tricia. Trivia *Topsy is also the name of a circus elephant who lived from 1875 to 1/4/1903. Category:Threehorns Category:Fourfooters Category:Dinosaurs Category:Land Before Time characters Category:B-Class Articles Category:1988 introductions